There is no better film for the times than one about civil rights leader and longtime Georgia congressman John Lewis. Dedicating the past six decades of his life to the advancement of Black people, John Lewis: Good Trouble, is a documentary celebrating the 80-year-old civil rights icon, in his fight for justice under the law.
And of course, two Black women are at the helm of the project.
Good Trouble comes from director Dawn Porter and is co-produced by Erika Alexander (of Living Single fame). In an interview with Tiffany D. Cross of MSNBC’s AMJoy, the women discuss the legacy of John Lewis, and how this long-awaited film finally came to fruition.
Dawn Porter, director of JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE. © Henny Garfunkel. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
“I campaigned in Georgia with Congressman Lewis, Stacey Abrams and Ayanna Presley in 2016, and that was like the dream team,” shares Alexander. “We traveled around Georgia, and we learned from John Lewis—it was like how young, gifted and Black in the South in American politics.”
Through this work, Alexander described it as “destiny” that later led her to cross paths with Porter to collaborate on the documentary.
Director @dawnporterm on working with @repjohnlewis on the new documentary, “John Lewis: Good Trouble” #AMJoy pic.twitter.com/Aw5WfICSCN
— AM Joy w/Joy Reid (@amjoyshow) July 5, 2020
The rest was history—and for good reason. The film, which was just released over the weekend, has received rave reviews thus far. There’s much to discover about the civil rights icon from watching the film, and it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before—literally. The producing pair were able to dig deep into never-before-seen footage and photos, including some from a lunch counter sit-in that he participated in at a segregated restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee.
Porter credits archivist Rich Remsberg for “searching high and low” for little known footage. “One of the greatest joys of my life as a filmmaker was when Congressman Lewis told us that he was seeing footage that he had never seen before,” she shares.
She continues, “We spent a year filming with [Congressman Lewis] and it’s been a really tough year for so many of us. The thing that strikes me about him is he is still out marching and speaking and encouraging everyone. He has never lost his resilience, his fight, his ability to inspire people and he really inspired all of us as well. It was a joy and a privilege to make this movie.”
And while we all may see Congressman Lewis as a “forceful” political giant, Porter believes that people would be surprised to know how quiet he is in person. He’s human just like the rest of us. “He is a really thoughtful leader,” she says. That’s one of the things I wanted to highlight in this movie. John Lewis is known for being brave, but I really wanted people to focus on the fact that he is a political genius. To be 19 years old and to be one of the organizers of the sit-ins that integrated the Nashville lunch counters that had been segregated more than 100 years, I want to give him his political props as the political genius he is. The strategy was so important to the movement and that’s the lasting change we have seen.”
Known for her comedic genius and as a beloved cast member on one of our favorite 90s sitcoms, Alexander describes her path to social justice and using her platform for Black advancement. She couldn’t sit silent to the injustices that were happening across this country, and for good reason — racism.
Thanks @staceyabrams ! Remember a few yrs back when you, me & @RepPressley campaigned w/ @repjohnlewis? It was a master class on how to be #younggiftedblack in the south in American politics! Ha! Let’s do it again. #2020 #LivingTheDream #legacy https://t.co/p7pnlaVZmB
— Erika Alexander (@EAlexTheGreat) July 7, 2020
“Racism is about power,” says Alexander. “White people created the system of laws, policies, financial networks, visual narratives to control in the press African Americans. It’s a tidy system — it works. it prevents us from creating wealth and health and prosperity and all the things that go along with it. I’d like to destroy it to its core and bring about systemic change in the democracy. It’s about voting — up and down the ballot. Especially locally, because all politics are local.”
“Don’t look at the White House or Iyanla to fix it — look in the mirror,” she proclaims. “Take action.”
The post Director Dawn Porter and Erika Alexander Reflect On The Life And Legacy Of John Lewis appeared first on Essence.
